Guild Wars 2

I would like to offer up my opinion on an alternate method to obtaining Precursors while still using the Mystic Forge. I believe that using the Mystic Forge is an aspect of the game that must truly be experienced before someone can own a Legendary weapon. However, I do feel that the current method for obtaining a Precursor is not ideal because of the lack of reward on repeatedly unsuccessful attempts. The option to buy a Precursor on the Trading Post is not an attainable goal with the current inflation of prices and forces players to the Mystic Forge for all the wrong reasons.

This solution is to help keep people active in the game, use the Mystic Forge, curb the inflation prices of Precursors on the Trading Post, and give some sort of idea on a final end as to when someone can get the Precursor of choice.

Precursor Icons
A collectable item sold by Miyani for explicit use in the Mystic Forge to improve chances of receiving a specific Precursor.

• Individual Precursor Icon for each Precursor sold at a price of two (2) gold
• Account Bound
• Collectible and able to be deposited into a Collection Tab in your Bank
• Stackable up to 250
• Improves chances of receiving a specific Precursor by 0.05% per Icon when used with new Mystic Forge recipes

New Mystic Forge Recipes
The new Mystic Forge recipes will require the use of the Precursor Icons and the associated weapon type of the Precursor. Successful attempts at a Precursor will yield a Precursor (and thus destroying the Precursor Icons) while unsuccessful attempts will yield more Precursor Icons as follows:

• (X) Precursor Icons + (3) Level 71-80 Rares = (X+[0..3]) Precursor Icons
• (X) Precursor Icons + (3) Level 71-80 Exotics = (X+[0..5]) Precursor Icons

The varying amount from [0..3] and [0..5] would behave very similarly to how the Mystic Salvage Kit breaks down armors and weapons for Globs of Ectoplasm.
If all else fails and someone has been very unlucky with the Mystic Forge, one final new recipe would be a saving grace.

• (1) Mystic Forge Stone + (250) Precursor Icons + (1) Level 71-80 Rare + (1) Level 71-80 Exotic = Precursor

Further Advancements
With the introduction of the Precursor Icons as an Account Bound Collectible, they can then be distributed in alternative ways as well; not just from Miyani for gold. Making them available on the Gem Store in packages of a random five (5) for 300 gems, or a potential reward from Daily and Monthly Achievements, or a potential reward from Zone Completions, or a potential reward from PvP Tournament Chests, etc. They could be integrated into every aspect of game play to give players the ability to earn them in however they feel like playing the game. This is not an entitlement, but merely a chance (and a small one at that) at obtaining more for just playing the game.
By allowing for the Precursor Icons to be Collectible, people may find it enjoyable to pursue more than one Legendary as they play the course of the game.

Challenges
From a developers standpoint, I can see where the challenge will lie with putting a variable amount of Precursor Icons into the Mystic Forge, but being a developer, I can speak that I know you are up for the challenge. I have also just performed a simple analysis on percentages and prices of the Precursor Icons, and they will need to be formally analyzed to see if they feasibly fit into the realm of how easy/hard the Precursors are supposed to be obtained.

Criticism
As always, I am open for some constructive criticism on this topic. I feel that this was a well thought out presentation for an alternate method of obtaining Precursors and I invite others to speak as well.

Well though idea, I would tend to add Precursor Icons traded for Skills Points at Miyani, as you propose 2g per, it should be many skills points for a Precursor Icon, but a nice alternative in my opinion.

I’d like to see the legendary shift away from people buying gold whether legit via gems, or other means. Legendary’s should be centered around the skill and dedication of the player, rather than the ability to spend money, and loads of time farming. The way it is now, eventually everyone will have a legendary since every day tasks are what make a legendary ( gold/karma, drops, dungeons and leveling) I think the legendary should be a step up from the mundane everyday tasks.

Like say an old wizard resides on top of a jumping puzzle, once there he asks you a series on questions, based on those questions you choose what weapon you’d like to get, and then he would send you on a mission to do x-y-z then return, after every completion of x-y-z mission the jumping puzzle gets more complex as do the missions he sends you on. At the end of the chain he gives you the components to make the legendary of choice where you then go to the Mystic forge and craft it. Maybe even make a server wide announcement of your legendary status.

Add a twist, the Wizzard is Zormos and the jumping puzzle is inside the forge. XD

They are adding so precursors are going to be able to be obtained through quest lines from my understanding.

Nappychappy.7046:

I’d like to see the legendary shift away from people buying gold whether legit via gems, or other means. Legendary’s should be centered around the skill and dedication of the player, rather than the ability to spend money, and loads of time farming.

Why would A-net risk the wrath of all the casual gamers by making getting a legendary a skill based process if no other PVE content in the game is skill based? Why would they discourage people from buying gems if that is their secondary income stream?

I think the answer is that they are trapped by how they promoted this game and its design. That, or they are content to pander to the people that support the game through gem store purchases. A real solution to this would be a pay for premium account with free to pay basic accounts. Being able to directly pay for gold and then using said gold to unbalance the economy is something they should have foreseen.

They are already suffering the wrath of casuals, and those who spend stupid amounts of money for these items will eventually dry up do to new games, or bored of buying legendary items. My opinion, at this rate they will drive off both big spenders and casuals. Even the huge fans of GW1 are disappointed in the game in its current state. I had a feeling how this game would be simply because its B2P, or in other words F2P. I knew that the support would be bad, that the content would be meh, and that “soon after release” features would be 6 months to a year long wait. I like this game, but it is so limited on things to do.. Well other than to do the things Anet said wouldn’t be in this game.

Agree, the MF is always stupid, I used to use 26 stacks of mats and get only 1 clover(and till now 80 stacks i only get only.
If this could be explained as an challenge of ‘luck’, please, this is enough. I don’t want to challenge my luck again to get the precursors, since I’m always not lucky in this game. I’ve spend 200g in MF, and still get nothing. I think maybe after I use the gold equals to the price of Dusk in TP, I should quit this game, Because it doesn’t offer a good mechanism for hard-working gamers, it only offers a good method for lucky players to earn money.